Healing After Suicide: Compassionate Steps to Support Survivors and Those Left Behind
⚠️ Trigger Warning
This post discusses suicide attempts and death by suicide. If you are in immediate crisis, please call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are outside the U.S., please search for your local crisis helpline right now. You are not alone, and support is available.
The Many Ways Suicide Impacts Lives
Suicide leaves a ripple effect that touches everyone differently. For some, it means surviving an attempt. For others, it means grieving the unimaginable loss of a loved one. Both experiences carry profound pain — and both require compassion, patience, and informed support.
This guide offers practical, compassionate steps for supporting:
Those who have survived a suicide attempt
Those grieving the loss of someone to suicide
By combining expert insights, survivor stories, and community resources, we’ll explore how healing is possible — even in the face of deep loss.
How to Support Someone Who Has Survived a Suicide Attempt
1. Speak with Care and Compassion
Words can either wound or heal. Survivors often carry guilt, shame, or fear of judgment. Instead of asking “Why did you do this?”, try:
“I’m so glad you’re still here.”
“You don’t have to go through this alone.”
These affirmations communicate love, hope, and belonging.
2. Encourage Professional and Ongoing Support
Survivors are at higher risk of another attempt, especially in the weeks after hospital discharge. You can:
Help schedule therapy or psychiatry appointments
Encourage creating a Safety Plan (a written list of coping strategies and emergency contacts)
Offer to attend their first appointment if they feel anxious
3. Care for Yourself as a Supporter
Supporting someone in crisis can feel overwhelming. Protect your own well-being by:
Setting healthy boundaries
Sharing responsibility with others
Seeking your own therapy or support group
How to Support Those Grieving a Suicide Loss
Grief after suicide is often more complex than other types of loss. Survivors may feel guilt, anger, shame, or relentless “why” questions. Compassionate presence is key.
1. Be Present, Even When It’s Hard
Show up. Silence or avoidance deepens isolation.
Offer specific help. Instead of “Let me know if you need anything,” say:
“I can bring dinner on Tuesday.”
“Can I walk the dog for you?”
Listen without fixing. Survivors need space to share, not quick solutions.
2. Connect Them with Supportive Resources
Encourage survivors to explore:
Specialized grief counselors trained in suicide bereavement
Support groups (local or online, such as AFSP)
Community rituals like remembrance walks or memorials
3. The Role of Communities and Workplaces
This is known as postvention — structured support after a suicide to reduce stigma and prevent further risk. Communities can:
Acknowledge the death openly
Offer group counseling
Share crisis resources
Healing Is Possible
Both suicide attempt survivors and suicide loss survivors need time, compassion, and connection. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting — it means finding ways to live with the loss while rediscovering hope.
Even the smallest gestures — a kind word, a shared meal, a listening ear — can serve as a lifeline.
Until next time,
Coach Deborah Griffiths
Website: www.brokentoboldness.com
Email: deborah@brokentoboldness.com
✅ Sources:
• CDC – Suicide Prevention
• NIMH – Suicide Prevention
• AFSP – Support After a Suicide Attempt or Loss
• SAMHSA – Family & Caregiver Resources
• APA – Coping After Suicide Loss
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention, website visited on 9.28.25
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, https://afsp.org/risk-factors-protective-factors-and-warning-signs/, website visited on 9.21.25
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention, website visited on 9.28.25
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention, website visited on 9.28.25
American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/topics/suicide/coping-after, website visited 10.5.25
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, https://afsp.org/risk-factors-protective-factors-and-warning-signs/, website visited on 9.21.25
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, https://afsp.org/risk-factors-protective-factors-and-warning-signs/, website visited on 9.21.25
Centers for Disease Control Suicide Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/risk-factors/, website visited on 9.21.25